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Beyond NYSC: Sustainable Alternatives and Strategic Recommendations
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) seeks to foster national unity and integration. Despite these efforts, Nigeria grapples with major issues like over 33% youth unemployment and widespread underemployment among young people (Federal Government of Nigeria, 2021). Implementing voluntary programs could be a productive method to harness the skills and talents of today’s youth.
Nigeria is confronting a significant demographic challenge. According to the African Development Bank Group (2023), more than 11 million young Nigerians join the workforce each year, but less than 3 million find formal employment. This gap has the potential to either significantly benefit or deeply impact the nation negatively. Additionally, the NYSC allocates over ₦124 billion ($100 million) annually, which could be redirected to initiatives like youth empowerment, technical training, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
It is time to ask the difficult question: What has the NYSC become? For many, it is a mere formality, riddled with inefficiencies, extortion, postings driven by personal connections, and increasing security risks. Tragically, dozens of young corps members have lost their lives due to poor logistics, violence, and road accidents, calling into question the moral justification for forcing young citizens into compulsory service in the name of national unity.
Nigeria should innovate beyond NYSC to lead Africa, with voluntary national development programs that focus on skills, innovation, and entrepreneurship. National service should be aspirational and transformative, not obligatory or transactional.
The Tony Elumelu Foundation has empowered over 15,000 young African entrepreneurs across all 54 countries with seed capital, training, and mentorship (2023). This has resulted in job creation, SME growth, and community development. Similarly, the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development’s NIYEEDEP 2025 initiative aims to equip over 500,000 youths with employability and entrepreneurial skills (Medlocum Jobs, 2025). These initiatives are cost-effective, scalable, and impactful.
Read also: Beyond NYSC: Why Nigeria Must End Youth Service—Part 11
The Nigerian Youth SDGs Network is focused on achieving quality education (SDG 4) and decent work and economic growth (SDG 8). Their policy brief for 2025 stresses the need for justice and equity in both areas, mentioning that “young Nigerians prefer practical opportunities over ceremonial engagements” (Nigerian Youth SDGs Network, 2025). This vision aligns with the ILO-IsDB Youth Development Strategy, which aims to create decent jobs through initiatives like technical training, policy reform, and digital skills development (International Labour Organization, 2021).
Equally critical is the rise of platforms such as Futurize Studio, which has spotlighted the importance of youth-led economic acceleration. According to their 2024 report, Nigeria’s economic growth is tied directly to how well it can leverage youth as economic actors rather than passive dependents. They advocate shifting government spending from ceremonial programs to agile, localized youth innovation hubs, arguing that ₦1 billion invested in such hubs yields far higher returns than NYSC ever could (Futurize Studio, 2024).
The argument is that national service should evolve, offering young people real choices rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Options could include voluntary fellowships in areas like agriculture, health innovation, education reform, urban development, and climate resilience, all with clear deliverables and employment opportunities. Programs in tech labs, policy incubators, or infrastructure development would be accountability-driven and linked to public-private partnerships.
YouthRise Nigeria (2023) emphasizes that successful youth engagement initiatives require ownership, not obligation. Their policy brief advocates for investing in “livelihood development,” decentralizing youth programs, and supporting localized decision-making through community youth councils and innovation clusters. This model has successfully reduced unemployment in states like Lagos and Kaduna through targeted digital literacy and agro-entrepreneurship initiatives.
There is also no shortage of technical training models to emulate. The Youth Empowerment Through Technical Training in Nigeria (2025) platform on LinkedIn documents dozens of public-private models that offer certifications in construction, health tech, software development, and renewable energy. These short-cycle, industry-relevant trainings are aligned with labor market needs and have an average job placement rate of 65%, compared to less than 20% for NYSC participants transitioning into formal employment.
Due to security concerns, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is no longer considered practical. The rise in insecurity, kidnappings, and rural violence poses a threat to graduates, especially women. The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development’s 2025 report suggests adopting localized and digital engagement models to mitigate these risks (FMYSD, 2025).
Globally, national service programs are shifting towards modular and skills-based formats. Countries such as Germany, Israel, and Rwanda have updated their programs to be more adaptable and inclusive. Nigeria should consider similar reforms to stay relevant.
Strategically redirecting NYSC’s ₦124 billion budget could establish a youth innovation fund, provide zero-interest micro-loans, support 200 entrepreneurship hubs, and subsidize technical training for over 1 million Nigerian youths annually. With careful planning and execution, achieving this vision is possible.
Joshua Alade (2025) stressed that Nigeria should involve its youth in creating new realities for a sustainable future. Instead of following outdated programs, we should trust young people with choices and invest in their outcomes.
Empowering youth means evolving beyond NYSC to strategic, inclusive development, building a future on promise rather than post-war unity. Our nation needs purposeful service, not another year wasted.
References
African Development Bank Group, 2023. Jobs for Youth. [online] Available at: https://www.afdb.org/en/topics-and-sectors/sectors/human-capital-development/jobs-youth [Accessed 14 Apr. 2025].
Alade, J., 2025. For a Sustainable Future, Nigeria Must Bring Its Young People to the Table. [online] Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/@joshuaalade/for-a-sustainable-future-nigeria-must-bring-its-young-people-to-the-table-eb599da29961 [Accessed 14 Apr. 2025].
Federal Government of Nigeria, 2021. National Development Plan (NDP) 2021–2025 Volume I. [pdf] Abuja: National Planning Commission. Available at: https://nationalplanning.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/NDP-2021-2025_AA_FINAL_PRINTING.pdf [Accessed 14 Apr. 2025].
Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, 2025. Youth Empowerment and Employment: A Beacon of Hope for Nigeria’s Future. [online] Available at: https://fmino.gov.ng/youth-empowerment-and-employment-a-beacon-of-hope-for-nigerias-future/ [Accessed 14 Apr. 2025].
Futurize Studio, 2024. Driving Economic Growth Through Youth Empowerment in Nigeria. [online] Available at: https://www.futurize.studio/blog/youth-empowerment-in-nigeria [Accessed 14 Apr. 2025].
International Labour Organization, 2021. Decent Jobs for Youth: IsDB Youth Development Strategy. [online] Available at: https://www.decentjobsforyouth.org/commitment/371 [Accessed 14 Apr. 2025].
Medlocum Jobs, 2025. Federal Government (NIYEEDEP) 2025 Empowering Nigerian Youths Programme. [online] Available at: https://medlocumjobs.com/blog/details/federal-government-niyeedep-2025-empowering-nigerian-youths-programme [Accessed 14 Apr. 2025].
National Bureau of Statistics, 2023. Labour Force Statistics: Unemployment and Underemployment Report (Q4 2022). [online] Available at: https://www.nigerianstat.gov.ng [Accessed 14 Apr. 2025].
Nigerian Youth SDGs Network, 2025. Achieving Social Justice in Education and Employment for Sustainable Futures for Youth in Nigeria. [online] Available at: https://nigerianyouthsdgs.org/achieving-social-justice-in-education-and-employment-for-sustainable-futures-for-youth-in-nigeria/ [Accessed 14 Apr. 2025].
Tony Elumelu Foundation, 2023. Entrepreneurship Program. [online] Available at: https://www.tonyelumelufoundation.org/programmes/tef-entrepreneurship-programme/ [Accessed 14 Apr. 2025].
Youth Empowerment Through Technical Training in Nigeria, 2025. Technical Empowerment Programmes. [online] LinkedIn. Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/youth-empowerment-through-technical-training-nigeria-otieno-zj5hc [Accessed 14 Apr. 2025].
YouthRise Nigeria, 2023. Policy Brief: Youth and Livelihood Development in Nigeria. [online] Available at: https://www.youthrisenigeria.org/resources [Accessed 14 Apr. 2025].
